


All you can do is move forward

by AtivanAvian420



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Before the season finale, Gen, Hahaha.... Pain, Hooty is actually not the worst for once, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, It's been a week since Eda's capture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtivanAvian420/pseuds/AtivanAvian420
Summary: It's been a week after the incident with Lilith, and Luz is struggling to cope.They all were, to be honest.Ie: In which King, Hooty, and Luz, all have group therapy in Eda's nest
Comments: 13
Kudos: 76





	All you can do is move forward

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE SEASON FINALE 
> 
> Hello this is my first Angst fic LOL follow me on Twitter at @ThatDarnDuck420 btw... I post abt the owl house and other related cartoon jazz!

Branches pricked against her skin like dull thorns. 

It wasn't particularly painful, but not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world either. 

Luz didn't let it bother her too much, regardless. It was hard to find the energy in being annoyed when her mind was running on a blank autopilot. 

King would often check on her, no doubt noticing the out of character periods in which she would space out in deep engrossment 

Normally, Luz's racing thoughts were like an intricate set of cogs and gears. They churned together in a way that made it impossible to fixate on one topic for too long before another took its place. 

Her mind was on a constant run, and it's what made her so spontaneous and exuberant. Two quirks that admittedly had their pros and cons. 

Still, that was Luz's norm. She was always willing to face adversity head on, and never let trials nor tribulation bring her down without an honorable, albeit impulsive, fight. 

Until now, at least.

Recently, It felt like those gears had gotten caught, refusing to turn as if a foreign object had wedged in between them. The thought was almost terrifying if she were honest. 

It was unsettling to realize you couldn't feel much of anything anymore, especially when you're used to feeling so _much._ Especially when you're used to _thinking_ so much. 

It was scary to find yourself hardly recognizing your own voice, especially when you're used to chatting up a storm whenever possible. 

But most disconcerting of all, had to be the inability to recognize her own reflection. Luz knew who she was. At the end of every day, she could look back at a mirror with confidence and say;

 _'You are Luz Noceda. You are a great friend, and give even greater hugs!'_

But for the first time ever there was an uncertainty. A subtle disconnect between who she _knew_ she was, and what stared back at her in reflection. 

Luz picked mindlessly at the straw-like material under her, gazing out at the rustic window above where she sat. A distant mimic of her face gazed back, prompting her brows to furrow. 

Eda always liked to keep her room relatively dark, save for the natural moonlight that would cascade through. It was on full moons like this one where that whimsical gleam would shine its brightest, shimmering against the many treasures that strewed about the room. 

Luz turns, darting her eyes around to mentally catalogue the sparkling contents around her. It was a weak attempt at distracting herself. 

_'Swords, chests, daggers, gold, potions-'_

She didn't exactly share the preference. Not of the prickly bed, or cluttered, dark spaces. 

She'd rather have a small night light around, or the comfort of King on her lap to lul her through the dark hours. 

But not tonight. 

Tonight, Luz found her own comfort in sleeping where a great witch once did, sprawled across twigs and branches and lord knows what else. It was her own sense of grieving, in a way. 

Remnants of feathers protruded from in-between small divots of the nest, tickling her bare skin whenever she'd shift in place. You'd think it would be a cruel reminder of the incident. 

That it would bring back imagery of the winged beast that lunged at Luz nights prior. 

But it didn't. Anything to remind her of Eda's presence was a welcome one, regardless of the sad reminisce it would bring along with it.

So, it's where she slept. Despite the neck pains and eerie sounds that would emit from the shadowed corners, keeping her up all through the night-

It's where she slept. 

Sometimes, she would be tempted to let King in. To let him snuggle up on top of her like he would so many nights before, but she hardly imagined she could bear it. 

Not when it already felt like a weight crushed against her chest with every breath she took. 

It was heavy. 

It _all_ just felt so heavy. 

Luz shook out an exhale she didn't realize she was holding, reaching out lazily to smear pictures in the window with her index finger. 

It had rained recently, the condensation fogging the panes just enough for her to make out cartoonist depictions of her friends. 

First Willow, then Gus, then Amity-

She frowned, balling up her fist and using the side of it to smear the caricatures away in one motion.

She hadn't been to school in days and politely asked Hooty to keep visitors at bay whenever he could. 

It's not like she didn't want to see her friends, because God, did she ever. It was just that, for some reason, she couldn't find it in herself to face any of them. Not yet, at least. 

Anytime she'd think about it, a ping of instinctual fear would snake across her chest. It was this nagging sensation as if she'd done something terribly wrong. 

Maybe it was guilt. There's no way any of them truly blamed her for what happened, but even thinking about it logically failed to bring her any sense of solace. 

Maybe they didn't blame Luz, but that didn't mean she wasn't blaming herself. No matter how she looked at it, her conclusion always came back the same. 

If she had just left the field trip when she was supposed to, everything would have panned out the way it was meant to. None of this would have spiraled into pandemonium the way it did. 

Luz's jaw clenched, looking down at the nest under her in a confusing amalgam of emotion. It was a slew of fear, anger, sadness; foreign emotions to a naturally upbeat girl like herself. 

Maybe Eda was right. Maybe it was ludicrous to think she were special. A chosen one, if you will. 

Finding that portal was an unfortunate accident that lead to an unfortunate set of events for everyone else around her. She shouldn't have stayed when Eda gave back that key. 

_'I should have went back home.'_ her thoughts echoed. 

She'd never felt so helpless. 

Before her thoughts could slip further into the bleak abyss, a gentle tap echoed through the room, jostling Luz from her ruminating haze. She cocked her head towards the door quickly, the abrupt sound just barely causing her to jump. 

Her startle was short-lived, however, as a weak smile began to creep across her face. She recognized that knock. 

"You can come in, King." Luz strained out. 

She winced at the grit in her voice and the slight crack that came along with it. It was so uncharacteristically not _her._

The door began to creak open slowly, causing her to squint reflexively at the stream of light it allowed to peek through. 

A long shadow cascaded across the floor, deceptively large in appearance, only for it to lead back up to one small, and vulnerable looking demon. 

King stands at the entryway, fiddling his paws together as if silently asking for permission to enter once more. He looks down nervously at his feet while doing so, like a child coming to tell their mom they missed the bus. 

The display caused Luz to huff out a tiny laugh, beckoning him forward with a gentle expression. 

Lately, the little demon had tried to distance himself, giving Luz ample time to herself when he felt like she needed it. 

-but sometimes, they would sit together and talk. Sometimes about everything, sometimes about nothing. Sometimes just being with one another was enough. 

King perked his head up at the motion, slowly making his way over to where Luz laid. He struggled for a moment, trying to lift himself over the tall bramble in a comically futile attempt. 

The girl rolled her eyes playfully, tugging against his collar in a firm, yet gentle way that helped give him the extra boost he needed to flop over. 

The demon let out an aggravated grunt, quickly regaining his footing. 

"Nyeh! As a powerful demon king, I could have done that myself. I'm very capable, you know."

He stands up straight, brushing off his fur nonchalantly in pride.

Luz shoulder bumps him, knocking him off balance once again and plopping straight onto his rump. 

"You can't even get on the kitchen counters without help, so I can never be sure."

King crosses his arms, wiggling his hind paws up and down against the nest. 

"Tiny legs. A curse that was bestowed upon me by unforgivable forces. One day I _will_ scale those fiendish, inferior counters." 

Luz just hums with a smile, before gazing back at the window. She could mask her emotions with a grin, but nothing can truly hide the loss of one's self in their eyes. The lack of vibrance was overtly telling. 

King subverts his own gaze, nervously picking at the nest from the sudden lack of conversation. He attempts to resurrect it soon enough, however, by clapping both paws together.

"so, what have you been thinking about up here? It's been like, centuries since you came into the living room with me and Hooty. It's to the point where I'm so bored, that I actually _like_ talking to that thing." 

King snickered at his own comment, nudging Luz's shoulder, only to gain a small huff in response. 

He frowns, turning to the window Luz had been staring at in an attempt to fixate on something while he spoke. 

"Are you thinking about… Eda?" he braved out. 

Luz took a deep breath in, closing her eyes for a moment before slowly exhaling outward. 

"Yeah." is all she says, the sentence ending abruptly as if it would be impossible for her to say anything more without choking up. 

King hums in understanding, not prompting her to continue in suspicion that she'd rather be alone at the moment. 

"Alright, well, you probably want to brood ominously in the dark by yourself again. I can go make dinner if you want, but the grease fire I started last time is prompting me to reconsider..." 

The girl quickly reaches out at King, patting him upside the head just as he was preparing to leave. 

"No, it's okay. I've just-" 

Luz looks down, taking in a steadier breath, and exhaling it impressively without waver. 

"I've just been thinking about that night. I keep thinking about how things would have panned out if I just did _anything_ differently."

King lets himself plop back down, tail whapping against the nest in curious listening.

"I shouldn't have tried to steal the hat. I always get in over my head with things like this, and it's finally gotten someone I care about seriously hurt." 

Luz reels her arms back, grabbing onto the cat hood of her sweater, and lifting it above her head in security. 

"I wish I could go back, King."

The little demon clicks his tongue, crossing his arms with a firm nod. 

"Sounds like some pretty standard existential crisis junk. Luckily for you, I've been through the roads of regret more times than I can count on my claws!" 

He wiggles his hands out at Luz who weakly smiled before shoving them down. 

"Right, like the regret of getting your arm stuck in the peanut butter jar?" she joked, though her voice still lacked its natural livelyness. 

King huffed, darting his gaze back to the window. 

"Once again, an isolated incident from the past. I'm talking more upscale stuff here."

Luz quirks an eyebrow as he stands up tall, panning his arm out dramatically. 

"I was once an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, believe it or not. All those who defied me found themselves groveling at my wake without fail."

Reaching down swiftly, he rips a twig from the nest, striking it towards Luz just an inch from her face, causing her to flinch with a squeak. 

"-but I was also over-confident. I let myself get too cocky with my reign, which is perfectly understandable because I _was_ a pretty scary fella."

He lowers the stick, flopping down defeatedly with a half-lidded frown. 

"Centuries ago I used to be someone. I had power over so many inferior heathens! I used to-" 

His skull indents, mimicking a furrowed expression. 

"Well, this isn't about the ferocious King of Demon's past. I guess to shorten my point, I made a lot of decisions during that time Luz, and they weren't always good ones. Now look where it's gotten me," 

He gestures towards himself with both paws. 

"I'm a cute little hairball who can't even stand up to a small child. My throne is an insignificant playground, and I'm a tyrant to stuffed animals."

He exhales a small, undignified snarl through his nose. 

"I spent a long time wondering what things would be like if I had the power to rewind my past. I spent even longer blaming myself for what I had become."

Luz reaches over lazily to scritch the scruff of King's neck, prompting him to let out a devious snicker at the touch. 

"A cute little hairball?" she asked. 

He nods, sticking his tongue out. 

"Yes, a cute little hairball. I felt like my life had spiraled into one big joke. Somewhere along that journey though, I met Eda. Now, even though I still miss my old reign of terror, I don't think I regret it anymore." 

Luz's expression softens as the demon begins to talk much quieter, the normal abrasion in his voice subsiding. 

"I still feel small. I still feel like I'll never be taken seriously, or that I'll never be able to hold against my own but-"

He crawls forward just a bit, placing one paw against the window, staring longingly at the stars. 

"I'm moving forward."

He reaches another paw out against the glass, using a claw to outline a small crown against the fog. 

"All you can ever do Luz is move forward. Sometimes, the world is going to feel like it's crumbling around you. Sometimes you get your arm stuck in a peanut butter jar if you're really unlucky! But what's done is done. I found out a long time ago that you can't go backward in time Luz," 

He breathes against the glass, promptly fogging the drawing back up. 

"-but you can always move forward. It's important that you know that."

Luz stares back incredulously at king, her throat catching briefly at the surprisingly insightful speech. She finds herself biting the inside of her cheek, attempting to hold back a prickle of emotion from her eyes. 

"-But... What do you do when it feels like you can't? I mean, what do you do when you feel too helpless to do anything at all? How did _you_ get past that?"

Her teeth grind against the clench of her jaw, a destructively nervous habit that never seemed to dissolve past childhood. 

"I can't even face my own friends, I still can't face my own mom, I can't even face _myself_ right now."

She pauses, peering at King with a desolate stare. It looked so defeated, you almost wouldn't have believed the expression had come from her. 

"What do you do when you're not _ready_ to move forward? _"_

Seconds go by without an answer as Luz attempts to tame the quiver on her lips, fists gripping against her knees like they were a lifeline.

It had been almost a week since the incident and it didn't feel like it had gotten any easier to cope with, so what was she supposed to do until then? 

King turns away from the window, locking a silent, but powerful gaze with the girl next to him. His eyes squinted, an expression Luz had come to recognize as his way of smiling.

Letting out a single weak, breathy laugh, he turns fully around while dropping on all fours. 

_"_ You cry."

The demon crawls towards Luz's lap, spinning around in a brief circular motion before plopping down in a cat-like ball. Once comfortable, he nudges his head against her midsection in reassurance.

Even the mighty King of Demons couldn't hide the slight waver that found its way to his own voice. 

"You cry, Luz."

Those few words were all the girl seemed to need in successfully breaking her facade.

The lump in Luz's throat tightened, before choking outward in intermediate, short exhales. She takes a shaky breath inward, before slouching forward and scrunching her eyes shut. 

Her forehead pressed softly against King's skull, as she finally lets the tears come pouring out, chest heaving abruptly at the hitched sobs.

The two sit like this for a moment, holding onto one another tightly under the glistening moonlight. 

The girl's broken cries traveled weakly across the room, mixing in with the croaks and chirps of whatever nocturnal beasts were still prowling about outside. 

King's fur at some point had begun to dampen considerably, something Luz absentmindedly apologized for in-between fits. The demon just patted her leg, silently showing his lack of bother. 

She lifted her head regardless, attempting to wipe away at the wetness that streamed down her cheek with the palm of her hand. Something beat her to it, however. A fluffy pressure brushed against her tears, causing Luz to nearly jump out of her skin. 

Cocking her head in one whiplash motion, she comes face to face with an unfortunately familiar little creature. 

She sighs.

"Hooty, I'm n-not in the mood-" 

She pauses, letting in a sniffle as the owl slowly curls himself around them both, resting his head against her lap with King.

"Do you want to know why I'm _heeeere,_ hoot hoot?" Hooty agonizingly drawled. 

King growls unamused against Luz's lap, kicking the bird's face away with one of his feet without looking. 

Luz just shakes her head, trying to level her breathing as she reached out to ruffle the bird's feathers. 

"Why, Hooty?" 

The owl tries to wedge his way back into the lap huddle much to King's dismay, chirping out lowly. 

"Eda _alwaaaays_ lets me sleep with her when I've had a scary little owl dream."

King perks his head from Luz's lap, quickly whipping at his own eyes to cover up any sign of his bubbling emotion prior. 

"What? No way, Eda never let _me_ sleep with her! Also, I didn't know nightmares could _have_ nightmares." 

Luz giggled softly at the two as Hooty began to wriggle around the nest in an attempt to get comfortable. 

"That's because Eda has a soft spot for other owls, hoot hoot! Only owls are allowed in Eda's nest, she let _me_ make that rule." 

His grating voice and expression dampen for just a beat as he nuzzles further into the twigs. 

"Owlbert liked to sleep with us too," he says flatly, peering up at Luz with a somber frown. It caught her off guard, not used to seeing him downcasted.

"-but I _guess_ it's okay if a _huuuuman_ wants to use the nest too, hoot hoot. I don't mind." 

Luz chuckles, whipping away the last of her tears with the hem of her hoodie. Using a free hand, she reaches out and brushes gently through the feathers of Hooty's comically long neck. 

"I'll sleep with you tonight Hooty, it's okay. I don't really like nightmares either."

The demon in her lap chuffs out a small whimper, tugging slightly at her sweater pocket with a pout. 

The girl smiles warmly, bending down to give him an affectionate kiss on the head. 

"You too, King. I know you've been dying to finally nap on top of me again."

He snickers, fist-bumping triumphantly before nuzzling back down. Neither of the trio spoke up after that, just allowing themselves to bask in one another's presence. 

In this brief moment of comfortable silence, Luz let herself really analyze the environment around her. She noticed how King would subtly knead against her leggings to self soothe. How Hooty's feathers would occasionally raise in anxiety at the sudden noises from outside. 

It brought her to a striking realization, one that should have clicked much sooner than it did. 

This wasn't just about her. 

Everyone who was close with Eda was struggling to cope, and it was inconsiderate to think otherwise. Lilith and the coven had taken away someone important to more than just herself. 

To Hooty, 

To King, 

To Owlbert, 

Everyone in the Owl House was on edge and feeling the effects of her absence. King needed this just as much as she did, and as annoying as he could be, so did Hooty. 

Her calmed expression quickly knitted back into a scowl as she slowly raised herself from the nest. King clung to her briefly before dropping off her lap at the sudden motion, letting out a confused grunt upon impact. 

Even Hooty peeked past his sleepy haze to cock his head quizzically at her. 

She reached out with one hand to place flat against the cold window. What looked back at her was not her reflection. It was something much sadder, much more bitter-

But she could use that to her advantage. She would use that negatively charged energy to fix the mess she'd made for everyone else. 

She turned on her heels, King and Hooty now wide awake while staring back at her in nervous confusion. 

"I'm ready" she mumbles. 

Reaching down, Luz lifts King gently off the ground to hold him in her arms. The demon nervously wriggles for a moment before finally going slack. 

"You know, while normally I love to have minions bare my weight, you're giving off some very intimidating vibes right now."

This was _her_ mess, and she was going to fix it, even if she didn't know exactly how. The Owl House wasn't just home to her friends, this was her family now. 

She grumbles out through gritted teeth, a voice so foreign it brought a hair raising chill to the other creature's fur.

"We're going to the Emporer's castle."

Her embrace tightens for a moment, before straightening her posture in confidence. 

There was a shift. Those once sullen eyes now danced in the moonlight with a fiery determination, a spark that hadn't shown its face In what felt like ages. 

King was right, there was no use in trying to get lost in the past, so there was only one thing she could do. 

"We are going to get Eda **_back_ **."

She was going to finally move forward. 

**Author's Note:**

> Also yes, the "you cry" line WAS inspired by the Midnight Gospel, thank you 😳


End file.
